Tech blog: F1's summer progress

Formula 1's summer shutdown is intended to give the teams a rest, but as the cars reappeared in Belgium there were myriad updates on show. CRAIG SCARBOROUGH analyses the key changes

After Hungary's high-downforce track, the Formula 1 field take on two low-drag, but very different, races: Spa and Monza.

Where Monza is predominantly straights, Spa is largely high-speed curves, so the cars do need downforce to negotiate some of the toughest corners on the calendar. However, as they are tackling these turns at such high speeds, the cars can produce enough downforce with relatively small wings.